The cast, including Johnny Galecki, Jim Parsons, Kaley Cuoco, Simon Helberg, Kunal Nayyar, Mayim Bialik and Melissa Rauch also will appear on "The Late Show With Stephen Colbert" (11:35 p.m., CBS).

Whenever a popular comedy signs off, folks wonder if there will ever be another sitcom capable of attracting a broad audience.

The end of "Big Bang" is as good a time as any to appreciate its writer and creator, Chuck Lorre, and his ability to go against prevailing trends. At a time when many TV critics, including this one, saw the future of TV comedy as single-camera documentary-style fare like "The Office," Lorre offered viewers "Two and A Half Men," "Big Bang," "Mike & Molly" and "Mom," traditional multi-camera sitcoms with conversations punctuated by punch lines and occasional moments of "heart" and hugs.

Earlier, when comedies like "Seinfeld" heralded an era of young urbanites whose strongest relationships were their "Friends," Lorre put the accent on family ties.

His notable work on "Roseanne," "Cybill," "Dharma and Greg" and "Grace Under Fire" emphasized the relationship between less-than-perfect parents and their children, something that would continue on "Two and a Half," "Big Bang" and, most notably, "Mom."

The alpha-eccentric Sheldon (Jim Parsons) on "Big Bang" had such a strong connection with his mother that it became the basis for the spin-off "Young Sheldon." Wolowitz's mother was heard and not seen. But when actress Carol Ann Susi, who provided her voice, died in 2014, sadness prevailed among the show's many fans.

"Big Bang" was a broadly popular show with an emotional and almost cultlike connection to its audience. That's a rare feat, difficult to replicate and worth appreciating.

• Time was, starring on a TV show was a dream come true. Things have changed. This year, we've seen Damon Wayans try to talk his way off the cast of the just-canceled "Lethal Weapon," while Jussie Smollett found an interesting way to get written off the cast of "Empire."

Just last week, Constance Wu seemed to lament the fact that her sitcom "Fresh off the Boat" had been renewed. After her role in the 2018 smash "Crazy Rich Asians" (8 p.m., HBO), it appears she has better things to do.

With their husbands at war, wives (Ginger Rogers, Ruth Hussey, Kim Hunter) work in a factory and live together in the 1943 melodrama "Tender Comrade" (10:30 p.m., TCM), written by Dalton Trumbo and directed by Edward Dmytryk, who were later accused of inserting communist propaganda into the film and others like it -- by Ginger Rogers' mother, no less!